News Forum - Samui may relax re-opening rules following low tourist demand

[Thaiger]

The rules are being somewhat relaxed when it comes to the Samui Plus re-opening model, following disappointing figures. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee from the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says that from October 1, vaccinated tourists only need to spend the first night in a SHA Plus hotel, until they get the result of their PCR test. Prior to this, international tourists were required to spend the first 3 nights in an expensive alternative quarantine facility. The Bangkok Post reports that tourists will also be allowed to roam Samui and neighbouring Koh Phang Ngan and Koh Tao freely, without having to stick […]

The post Samui relaxes re-opening rules following low tourist demand appeared first on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[Nobodysfriend]

The danger is not coming from the tourists , but from potentially infected Thais .

If a tourist decides to take that risk , why punish him further with unwanted restrictions ?

Open up for vaccinated foreigners , no more restrictions of any kind .

[LuckyStrike]

Good

more restrictions = less tourists

fewer restrictions = more tourists

Not that hard

[EdwardV]

“We need a makeover to become a quarantine-free destination with fewer restrictions to attract more demand” - wow what a unique idea, why didn’t anyone think of that months ago? So basically they are going with the current Phuket model. Of course it hasn’t been all roses for Phuket but it’s better than what they had come up with. They need to understand not only will tourists choose other counties that are easier and less expensive, tourists will do the same within Thailand. Yes there are still places like Hua Hin and Pattaya coming up with very restrictive schemes and actually expecting tourists to choose them instead of somewhere else. 

[PapayaBokBok]

the medical costs have also been reduced from 15,000 baht per person to 8,000 baht, matching Phuket costs.

 

HUH????  pcr????

[TheDirtyDurian]

Ratchaporn adds that other Thai destinations that plan to re-open should learn from Samui’s experience and understand that mandatory quarantine is a significant deterrent ....  

 

Jeez. And no one realized this??

[TheDirtyDurian]

Maybe one day they'll understand that people won't come to Thailand at any cost.

They have other choices!

[Lowseasonlover]

Dont forget the cost of flights to Samui 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

Nope. Still going to wait. Still not worth risking a false positive or being found guilty by proximity.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

2 minutes ago, Lawyers_Guns_and_Money said:

being found guilty by proximity.

Where these numbers are not promulgated. Would be nice to know how many sandboxers have been ALQ’d because of high risk close proximity?

[Lowseasonlover]

14 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Where these numbers are not promulgated. Would be nice to know how many sandboxers have been ALQ’d because of high risk close proximity?

They've kept that quiet I think after that German woman was quarantined didn't go down to well, 

[HappyExpat]

1 hour ago, LuckyStrike said:

Good

more restrictions = less tourists

fewer restrictions = more tourists

Not that hard

You forgot one part of that equation:

 

more restrictions = less tourists = less Covid

fewer restrictions = more tourists = more Covid

Simple really.

 

[Thomazz59]

Third part of the equation..

No money - No food

[Shade_Wilder]

 

I am always disheartened to read Foreigners' views regarding the re-opening of Thailand on the various Forums; most of the comments are negative, mocking, and/or just plain mean. Yes, I do get that it is the Thai authorities doing the announcing and/or managing the re-opening(s) and most (all of us?) consider them to be soul-stealing goblins with maggots for hearts and cockroaches for brains, but still...

I think the re-opening plan(s), flawed as they were and still are, are about as good as possible under the circumstances.

In Thailand, I think it mattered little who was governing; whoever was in power was going to blame foreigners for the virus. Thailand has a very Nationalistic culture, with definite shades of Xenophobia, and those cultural issues were always going to shine through a virus response. Can anyone on this Forum name a Thai politician who wouldn't have blamed the 'Foreigners'? Anyone? Seriously, one Thai politician? Anyone? A Thai politician who defended foreigners and fought against blaming them would have been chucked out of office in a week.

The initial Phuket 'Sandbox' approach, with massive overkill on paranoia, was always going to be the case; Thai people wouldn't have accepted anything less. But, as much as I abhor and despise the Thai authorities, give them credit for slowly loosening the restrictions as data came in that showed the need. And, give them some credit now for loosening the Samui regulations in response to facts on the ground. Further, does anyone think this will be the last loosening of restrictions, in Samui and elsewhere? Nope, it'll become looser and looser as time and events dictate. Finally, to put it in its simplest form, Thailand needs tourism dollars. Very, very badly.

I suspect that I have personally found the Thai authorities more loathsome than most members (but, let's not have a contest like in Life of Brian; "I hate the Romans a lot!"), but I have tried to refrain from criticizing their virus response too much; it is unchartered territory and no one really knew or currently knows all the correct steps. Politics and knowing the correct steps forward is a combination of knowledge, wisdom, experience, gut instinct, smart educated guesses and the power of reason, combined with a healthy understanding of past practices, but no one ever actually KNOWS what is correct until it occurs. 

I want to see a slow, steady re-opening whereby the rules are quite strict initially and then are loosened as facts change; this is a good method to manage policy.

I want tourists to come back. I miss many of the people that I saw each year and want to see them return for their winter break.

Most of all, I want to see all my Thai friends, acquaintances, and their families recover somewhat from the terrible economic circumstances inflicted on them.

 

 

[AlexPTY]

tourists from where? Thailand is in red lists, But ok, why not... who cares really

[KaptainRob]

PLEASE NOTE:  I have edited this News topic to better reflect the actual statement made in the original article in Bangkok Post.  Changes to the regulations are yet to be approved.

Admin.

[Lowseasonlover]

14 minutes ago, AlexPTY said:

tourists from where? Thailand is in red lists, But ok, why not... who cares really

Afghanistan 

[dmacarelli]

I visited Samui several months ago, and there were hardly any restrictions, and hardly any Covid. Now, there are heavy restrictions and more Covid. Wow. The restrictions are really working. Same applies to Phuket. Just open the damn places up already. Enough with the Zombie Apocalypse. 

[LuckyStrike]

6 minutes ago, dmacarelli said:

I visited Samui several months ago, and there were hardly any restrictions, and hardly any Covid. Now, there are heavy restrictions and more Covid. Wow. The restrictions are really working. Same applies to Phuket. Just open the damn places up already. Enough with the Zombie Apocalypse. 

So true. Lock downs destroy families. Isolate the at-risk and get back to living.

[Griff1315]

33 minutes ago, Shade_Wilder said:

consider them to be soul-stealing goblins with maggots for hearts and cockroaches for brains, but still...

Love it

And some other very good points but the quoted part is the best.

[Griff1315]

21 minutes ago, Lowseasonlover said:

Afghanistan 

USA  and UK have thousands of tourists from there.

Don't do much for the GDP figures though.

[Luigi]

i think it is easier for a sandbox tourist to contract the covid from a local resident than to infect him

[Preston]

From 15k to 8k baht per tourist…

Where did the extra 7000 baht per tourist go to previously?  
 

in fact 8000 baht is still overpriced for 3 PCR tests. 

[Lowseasonlover]

1 hour ago, Luigi said:

i think it is easier for a sandbox tourist to contract the covid from a local resident than to infect him

I think thats whats been happening

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, Shade_Wilder said:

I think the re-opening plan(s), flawed as they were and still are, are about as good as possible under the circumstances

I totally agree with the sentiment of your comments. I’ve also said that I guess they need to at least try something. However (and it’s a big HOWEVER!).  The mocking and negativity seen on these forums I don’t think is based on the idea of trying something. It’s based on the utter nonsense spewed out daily by those in charge. Today I have read three articles on reopening in the BKK Post. Not one Thai commentator got it right. They all talked about foreigners being concerned about Covid, Or lack of spending power.  None came out and laid it bare and said:

We know that the additional restrictions such as the closure of many consulates across the world. The requirement for sometimes inefficient CoE applications. The high costs of PCR tests, the limitation on travel for 14 days and the expensive Covid health insurance are all keeping tourist numbers down. We as a government are continually looking to improve and remove these additional restrictions as soon as possible. We are working to develop a roadmap to return travel restriction fully back to how they were before the Covid pandemic. 
 

If just one person in TAT, government or regional hoteliers came out and said this, then I think 90% of the negativity would go away. It’s a reaction to our intelligence being insulted each and every day that causes the frustration. The same goes with the Covid case numbers and comments about vaccination and herd immunity. Just stop the BS and the negativity will stop.